The present disclosure is directed to improved instrumentation and methods for measuring and monitoring soft tissue. More particularly, in one aspect the present disclosure is directed to an implantable sensor for detecting changes in soft tissue of a joint.
The present disclosure relates to the assessment of soft tissue. The disclosure may have particularly useful application in the assessment of soft tissues as it relates to joints and monitoring the need for medical treatment, including surgical procedures. In some aspects, the surgical procedure is a total joint replacement surgery, such as the implantation of a hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, spinal, or wrist prosthesis. The disclosure may also have particularly useful application in the assessment of soft tissue as it relates to soft tissue repairs such as ACL reconstruction, meniscal reconstruction, and other soft tissue repairs, for example.
Joint prostheses are usually manufactured of durable materials such as metals, ceramics, or hard plastics and are affixed to articulating ends of the bones of the joint. Joint prostheses usually include an articulating surface composed of a material designed to minimize the friction between the components of the joint prostheses. For example, in a hip prosthesis the femoral component is comprised of a head (or ball) and a stem attached to the femur. The acetabular component is comprised of a cup (or socket) attached to the acetabulum and most often includes a polyethylene articulating surface. The ball-in-socket motion between the femoral head and the acetabular cup simulates the natural motion of the hip joint and the polyethylene surface helps to minimize friction during articulation of the ball and socket.
As described, total joint replacements often require components to articulate against polyethylene or metal bearing surfaces. This articulation has been shown to release submicron particle wear debris, often polyethylene wear debris. This debris can lead to osteolytic lesions, implant loosing, and possibly the need for revision surgery. Early detection of particle wear debris or the onset of osteolytic lesions allows an orthopedic surgeon to treat the potential problem before it escalates to the point of causing severe medical harm to the patient and/or the need for revision surgery.
Further, in soft tissue repairs, such as ACL reconstruction, the tissue may have problems with graft incorporation and/or failure to fully heal the defect. Tracking the healing process and tissue integrity in soft tissue repairs can assist the surgeon in determining the appropriate postoperative treatments and physical therapy. Also, early detection of a potential problem provides the surgeon with the potential ability to treat the affected tissue before the problem becomes more serious or requires revision surgery.
Therefore, there remains a need for improved instrumentation and methods for monitoring soft tissue and, in particular, the soft tissue of joints.